Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel

Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel by A.W. Jantha
Published by Freeform, July 10, 2018
Pages: 521
Format: Hardcover

I rated this book at .  It is okay, but it isn’t a literary classic.  It was more nostalgic for me (Part I) with a healthy dose of curiosity (Part II).

Goodreads Synopsis:

Hocus Pocus is beloved by Halloween enthusiasts all over the world. Diving once more into the world of witches, this electrifying two-part young adult novel, released on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1993 film, marks a new era of Hocus Pocus. Fans will be spellbound by a fresh retelling of the original film, followed by the all-new sequel that continues the story with the next generation of Salem teens.

Shortly after moving from California to Salem, Massachusetts, Max Dennison finds himself in hot water when he accidentally releases a coven of witches, the Sanderson sisters, from the afterlife. Max, his sister, and his new friends (human and otherwise) must find a way to stop the witches from carrying out their evil plan and remaining on earth to torment Salem for all eternity.

Twenty-five years later, Max and Allison’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Poppy, finds herself face-to-face with the Sanderson sisters in all their sinister glory. When Halloween celebrations don’t quite go as planned, it’s a race against time as Poppy and her friends fight to save her family and all of Salem from the witches’ latest death-defying scheme.

We all know the classic tale, as shown in the 90’s movie ‘Hocus Pocus.’  However, as is true of most movies that are based on books, there are more details in the book than in the movie.  The movie was a pretty darn good depiction of the story though! Besides, who doesn’t love the cast of the movie?  They were (still are) FABULOUS!  Okay, maybe that’s just my “I ❤️ the 90’s” sentimentality speaking.

Here are my thoughts on the book:

• I’m glad that I read this as an adult, but I think I would have enjoyed even more as a  young adult 
  • Side Note: Who knew that this book was kind of a way to talk about sex-ed to young people?  I mean come on…yabos? virgins? kissing?  Yeah….I somehow missed that whole entire aspect of the movie all of these years.  I just enjoyed the hijinks and storyline. 
• Since I saw the movie before I read the book, I did a mental comparison of how Bette Midler, et.al. performed their roles in the movie compared to the characters in the book (and they were spot on!)
• The art was cute and on point for a YA book that centers around Salem, MA and Halloween (here’s an example)

Oh, and did I mention the words? It wasn’t dirty (and those who know me IRL know that I have a fabulous vocabulary that would make the saltiest sailor blush), but it was cute (not sickly cute, but fitting in an old-world sort of way) and fit the story well.

I really did enjoy the gobbledygook-esque words – which you both read on the pages and you hear in the movie (think Winnifred Sanderson and some of her phrases…and to be fair, they could have been honest-to-goodness slurs 300 years ago, but I’m not an expert on old school insults).

I won’t bore you with the details of Hocus Pocus, the story that you already know and love. However, I will tell you a little bit about the ‘All-New Sequel.’

Before I read the book, the caricatures on the back of the book caught my attention. I couldn’t help but think “Oh Snap – we’re going modern-day Salem up in here!”

Well, let me just start by saying: the sequel went dog (instead of cat) and kept the delightful old-school gobbledygook insults.  I mean…snoring plague sore?  YAS!  If only I was awesome enough to insult people like that…

They also managed to use some more modern-day phrases, but in a much cleaner, PG version…e.g., ‘Witch, Please!’

I will not ruin the book for you by telling you the end.  You can read the book just like I did.  I will, however, say, that I recommend that you read it…this month… if for no other reason than just because you can. 

          

^^^This book review makes me realize I need to update my rating system.  Why?  Because this is an okay book.  Read it because I said so.  Or because you grew up in the 90’s.  Either reason will suffice.  But do not be fooled into thinking it’s a great book.  Nostalgic? Yes.  Literary Giant? No.